Oklahoma Tornadoes, Severe Storms, and Flooding (DR-1272)

Updates and Articles, Blogs, and News Releases

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Almost 9,500 Oklahomans registered for federal and state disaster recovery assistance by the deadline Friday evening (July 2). To date, more than $67.8 million has been approved for grants and low-interest loans to help victims recover from the tornadoes, storms and floods that occurred May 3-5 in Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- As Oklahoma begins to rebuild areas damaged by spring tornadoes, homeowners and homebuilders alike are seeking information on safe rooms, which can save lives in otherwise deadly storms. Builders, contractors, and homeowners can learn about concrete safe rooms at a series of free seminars held across Oklahoma this summer. Attendees will learn about the benefits of safe rooms, visit informational booths, talk with distributors, and take a walk inside a safe room built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) at any one of seven different events.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Safe Room Traveling Road Show teams visited Oklahoma last week, urging residents of tornado-prone areas to build an in-house "safe room" as protection against deadly tornadoes. Each two-person team conducted workshops, distributed publications and answered general construction questions. FEMA disaster team staff, Bob Connors and Steve Jeffery setup their display at a building supply center in Oklahoma City. The road show moves to Kansas June 22.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- A first-in-the-nation Safe Room Rebate Program was unveiled at a news conference at the State Capitol this morning by Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director James Lee Witt and Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management Director (ODCEM) Albert Ashwood.
"This program provides a $2,000 rebate for installing a Safe Room," Keating said. "The program is for Oklahomans who suffered the loss of their homes from the May 3-5 tornadoes."

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is encouraging area residents to submit right-of-entry permits by June 18 to allow Corps contractors to remove tornado debris from their property. In addition to the permit, an insurance statement and a hold harmless agreement are required.
Because of time limits on the Corps debris removal contracts, property owners who fail to return permits by June 18 may have to hire and pay their own contractors to get debris removed.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Two of the disaster recovery centers set up to help victims of Oklahoma's May 3-5 tornadoes, severe storms and flooding will close at 6 p.m. Friday, June 18, state and federal recovery officials said today.
The centers at the Dover Town Hall, 101 N. Chisholm Trail on Highway 81, and at the high school gymnasium, Bridge Creek School District, off Sara Road and Bridge Creek Road, Route 1, just east of Tuttle, Grady County, will continue operating Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until closing.

Public Assistance (PA): Disaster grant assistance available for communities to quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President

Emergency Work (Categories A-B): Work that must be performed to reduce or eliminate an immediate threat to life, protect public health and safety, and to protect improved property that is significantly threatened due to disasters or emergencies declared by the President

Permanent Work (Categories C-G): Work that is required to restore a damaged facility, through repair or restoration, to its pre-disaster design, function, and capacity in accordance with applicable codes and standards